This volume of 30 short stories is an extremely fine selection of his works. I was familiar with three of the stories, "The Jewels", "The Piece of String" and the most well known titled "Boule De Suif" (translated as "Ball of Fat"). In this famous story, the prostitute of the region of Rouen is traveling with upper class companions in a coach as each traveler assesses the other one, making judgements as human beings often do. Eventually the upper class passengers are hungry, as they eye Boule De Suif opening her basket filled with fried chicken and other delicious foods. Boule De Souif takes compassion on her fellow passengers by offering them some of her food, to their embarrassment and pleasure, assuaging their hunger pangs. We learn a little about the character and background of the passengers, as the author builds his plot ... The passengers became more chummy, a most unusual situation that would not occur in normal everyday life between such different classes. The coach stopped for a rest at an inn. Prussians occupied the town and were staying at the same inn. As circumstances developed, the Prussian officer wanted to speak with Boule De Suif (Madame Elisabeth Rousset) ... she refused, recognizing at once the reason for his summons. The passengers on the coach sensed the tension and attempted pursuading Ms Rousset to join the officer ... they feared bad consequences for themselves if she did not cooperate, despite their disgust toward that sort of activity. They prevalied, Ms Rousset succumbed. The story ended on a sad note ... after "the event", the snobby behavior of the passengers toward Ms Rousset was evident as they reached their destination. They forgot her kindess in sharing her food, her resistance to the advances of the officer (she had pride in resisting the enemy) ... the passengers looked to their own selfish concerns and had no compassion for the sacrifice made by "Boule De Suif" on their behalf. This story exemplifies one of the main reasons the stories of Guy De Maupassant are so popular, in addition to his creative techniques and writing expertise, he contrasts certain extremes of human behavior to make a very strong point which emphasizes the human condition most accurately. These stories will delight a wide-range of readers. Most highly recommended. Erika Borsos (bakonyvilla)


Guy de Maupassant's short stories - 'Naturalism' at its best   February 20, 2003
 5 out of 8 found this review helpful

No wonder one of the above reviewers thought of Maupassant's work as depressing. Indeed, Guy de Maupassant pertained to a literary movement called Naturalism in France, known as Verismo in Italy (although some attribute Verismo as italy's counterpart to Realism). Guy de Maupassant was born in 1850, a naturalist French writer best known for his satirical short stories. Together with Flaubert (his mentor), and Emile Zola, Maupassant was one of the main exponents of this literary movement. Historic events are amalgamted with personal ongoings to create stories which respect but in the same time scrutinize social laws. The laws which are the basis and pillars of society are held under an objective eye. Antithetical to romantic idealism, naturalism turns, or rather returns, to nature, and brings light to aspects which are usually taken for granted. It is not uncommon in his stories to find conclusions, usually expressed by peasant women, which can only be attributed to common sense, and which are totally different from those derived from social behaviour, thus depicting a society which can be defined as illogical: "Yes it's quite a different thing to defend oneself; but wouldn't it be better to kill all the kings, who make war for their own amusement?" (from Boule de Suif).
The relationship between conquerors and conquered is also given much importance, in some stories more than others.
In his stories, Maupassant tries to portray a world full of vice and virtue, passions which easily transpose to obsessions, prostitution, adultery, trickery, perversion and greed. In a few words, as natural a world as can be, which after all is what naturalism aims at achieving.
The endings of the stories serve as the turning points of the short narratives, usually giving the final blow of pathos, leaving our imagination to do the rest: "Boule de Suif went on crying; and from time to time a sob, which she could not restrain, was audible in the darkness between the verses" (from Boule de Suif).
In this book the stories vary in theme from sad depressing stories, usually filled with pathos, to humorous ones, thus resulting in a contrasting effect. At times you'll laugh out loud in amusement, at others you will succumb to the magnificently used pathos and find yourself pondering about the harshness of life. As a finishing note, if you find Maupassant's stories depressing, remember that his stories are nothing but a reflection of life, and so it is this life which lacks of positiveness, not this author, a thought which is difficult to swallow, and harder to admit.


A wicked glint in the eye of a collection of stories   January 17, 2003
 20 out of 20 found this review helpful

Maupassant is the Prussian War's Roald Dahl. His stories shine with mischief and flawed but totally absorbing human beings. Like Dahl there is a touch of the macabre and twistedness to his writings which, like Dr Hoffmann's Cautionary Tales, can haunt the reader. If you like some darkness and humour then you'll love this book.
Maupassant is definatly a "people" writer- the humanity he observes leaps off the page. Where other author's would have trouble fleshing out characters Maupassant instantly creates believable and interesting 3D characters. The concentration of "real" working class or lower middle class characters in the stories make a welcome change from the aristos populating much of English literatures classic books. There's plenty of fun and frolics in Maupassant's writing along with the darkness and sordidness- a complete contrast to what we learn at school in history lessons of the poor and depressed citizens of Europe in the nineteeth century.
A dark glittering gem of a book. Excellent.


Nice Stories but Depressing   July 24, 2002
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

This book contains a collection of varied short stories, Guy de Maupassant's best-loved works, as they write in the foreword. They spanning from the tragic, to the light-hearted. The stories vivedly describes the cunning and greed of the Norman peasantry and the daily life along the front of the Franco-Prussian War. Unfortunately most of the stories are marked by a significant spirit of pessimism, disillusion and nihilism, wich makes them rather depressing to read.